The cafeteria buzzed with midday noise, voices overlapping and trays clattering. The air smelled of fries and coffee.
Celeste barely touched her food. Her thoughts were tangled elsewhere, circling Orion. Since their last meeting, he lingered in her mind. It wasn't just his anger. It was the look he'd given her when she called him lonely, like she had seen something he never meant to show.
She didn't know what to do with that.
And then, as if summoned by the very weight of her thoughts, he walked in.
Orion moved through the cafeteria like he didn't belong there. He walked through the crowd with that same unbothered ease, dark hoodie unzipped just enough to reveal the sharp lines of his collarbone, his expression unreadable. His gaze swept the room lazily, but Celeste knew better. He was looking for something.
Or rather someone.
His eyes landed on her, and a slow, knowing smirk curled at the corner of his lips.
Celeste stiffened.
Jase, seated beside her, followed her gaze. The moment he spotted Orion, his posture changed. His shoulders squared, his jaw tightened, and his usual easygoing calm sharpened.
"Of course he's here," Jase muttered under his breath.
Orion made a beeline for their table, slipping into the seat across from Celeste like he had every right to be there. He didn't so much as glance at Jase. His attention was on her, dark eyes unreadable but too focused.
"Celeste," he greeted smoothly. "Miss me?"
Jase let out a low scoff, arms crossing over his chest. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Orion finally spared him a glance, his smirk deepening. "Relax. I'm just here for a chat." His gaze flickered back to Celeste, his head tilting slightly, as if assessing her reaction. "You don't mind, do you?"
She sighed, setting down her untouched fork. "You shouldn't be here."
Orion shrugged. "Neither should you."
Her brows furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table. "You still don't get it, do you? You don't fully belong in their world. You're just playing by their rules because you don't know any better."
Jase scoffed again, shaking his head. "Here we go."
Orion ignored him, his gaze locked onto Celeste. "You think they see you as one of them?" His voice was softer now, almost… curious. "You're just not pure blood. And you know it."
Something about the way he said it made her stomach twist.
Jase, however, was done listening.
"She's not like you," he snapped, voice hard with irritation. "And she sure as hell isn't alone. She has people and she has me."
Orion exhaled through his nose, shaking his head like Jase was a particularly slow student struggling with a simple concept. "That's exactly the problem."
Celeste felt the tension coil between them, thick and dangerous.
Orion leaned back, stretching lazily, his smirk sharpening. "You're too soft on her, Jase. You coddle her. Protect her like she's fragile." He tilted his head, his dark eyes glinting. "Like you're afraid she'll break."
Jase went rigid.
Celeste's pulse spiked.
"Shut up," Jase said, voice lower now. Darker.
But Orion wasn't finished.
"You think love is enough to prepare her for what's coming?" He let out a quiet, almost pitying chuckle. "That's cute."
Jase's hands curled into fists. "I swear to god—"
Orion's smirk didn't waver, not even when Jase half-rose from his seat, barely containing his frustration. If anything, he looked amused.
"I get it," Orion continued, his voice mockingly sympathetic. "You want to keep her safe. You want to protect her." His gaze flickered back to Celeste, something unreadable passing through his expression. "But you're blind, Jase. You're blind because you're in love with her."
Jase snapped.
He shoved the table forward, rattling everything on top of it as he surged to his feet, his chair scraping violently against the floor. His entire body radiated tension, like a storm about to break.
Celeste shot up before he could move, stepping between them before things really got out of hand.
"That's enough!" Her voice cut through the air like a blade, sharp and unwavering.
Jase's chest was heaving, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white. Orion, meanwhile, just sat there, completely at ease, like he hadn't just lit a fuse and watched it burn.
Celeste turned to Jase first. "I don't want a fight." She reached for his arm, gently but firmly. "This isn't worth it."
His jaw clenched, muscles still taut, but he didn't move. His breathing was still heavy, his frustration palpable, but he didn't push past her.
Celeste exhaled softly, relieved.
Then, she turned back to Orion.
And to her absolute frustration, he was still smirking.
"Wow," he mused. "I really got to him, huh?"
Celeste shot him a glare. "You're a jerk."
His smirk only widened. "And yet, here you are, still talking to me."
She wanted to slap that look off his face. She really, really did.
Instead, she turned to Jase. "Come on," she said, her voice gentler now. "Let's go."
Jase didn't look at Orion as he grabbed his bag, didn't acknowledge him as he stalked toward the exit. But the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw stayed tight. Celeste knew he wasn't going to let this go.
Orion watched them leave, something flickering in his expression, something not quite amusing.
And as Celeste followed Jase out of the cafeteria, her heart still hammering from the confrontation, she realized something unsettling.
Orion wasn't just pushing buttons.
He was testing something. Testing her.
*****
The cafeteria doors closed behind them, muting the noise inside. The cool hallway air did nothing to calm Jase. His fists stayed clenched, his body tight and coiled, ready to snap.
Celeste walked beside him in silence, letting the tension settle between them, knowing better than to push him while he was still on edge.
When they reached the far end of the hall, empty and quiet, Jase finally stopped. He ran a hand through his hair, then gripped the back of his neck, breathing hard.
"That," he exhaled sharply, "that arrogant, smug piece of—"
"Jase," Celeste interrupted softly, stepping in front of him.
He stilled but didn't meet her gaze. His jaw was still tight, his pulse visible at his throat, his entire presence radiating anger.
Celeste sighed, reaching out carefully, her fingers brushing lightly against his wrist. "Hey."
Jase finally looked at her, his eyes dark with frustration, with something more.
"I hate the way he talks to you," he admitted, voice low and edged with something raw. "Like he knows you better than I do. Like he's—" He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Like he has a chance."
Celeste's chest tightened.
She understood now that this wasn't just about Orion pushing his buttons. This was about her. About Jase seeing Orion as a threat.
She stepped closer, her hands trailing up his arms, slow and deliberate. Jase's muscles were still tense beneath her touch, his breathing still uneven, but he didn't pull away.
"He doesn't," Celeste murmured.
Jase's eyes flickered with something dangerous. "Doesn't what?"
Celeste swallowed, her heart thudding in her chest. "Have a chance."
The words had barely left her lips before Jase moved.
His hands caught her waist, pulling her in until there was nothing between them but the heat of their bodies, his breath fanning against her skin. His grip wasn't rough, wasn't demanding but it was possessive. A silent claim, a quiet desperation that said, you're mine.
Celeste barely had time to think before his lips crashed against hers.
The kiss was hungry, all fire and frustration, a storm that had been brewing for too long finally breaking. His hands gripped her hips, pinning her against the wall, his body pressing firmly into hers.
Celeste gasped against his mouth, fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him impossibly closer.
Jase exhaled a shaky breath, breaking the kiss just long enough to rest his forehead against hers. His hands tightened at her waist, his lips barely brushing against her jaw as he whispered, "Tell me you're mine."
Celeste's heart stammered, her skin burning where he touched her. "I—"
A door slammed somewhere down the hall, breaking the moment.
Jase tensed, his grip easing as reality set back in. Celeste's breath was still unsteady, her fingers still twisted in his shirt, but she knew they couldn't do this here.
She let out a slow exhale, pressing her hands gently against his chest. "We should go."
Jase looked at her for a long moment, taking in the way she was flushed and breathless.
Then, finally, he nodded.
But as they walked away, their fingers still brushing, their bodies still charged with the heat of something unfinished, Celeste knew one thing for certain.
Orion might have tried to shake them.
But Jase had just reminded her exactly where she belonged.